This document was classified as: OFFICIAL Darlington Local Plan Statement of Common Ground December 2020 DARLINGTON ii wi BOROUGH COUNCIL 0 This document was classified as: OFFICIAL Contents 1. Introduction 2 2. Parties Involved 3 3. Signatories 4 4. Strategic Geography 10 5. Strategic Matters 11 - Housing Development 11 - Economic Growth 13 - Teesside International Airport 14 - Town Centre Development 16 - Services and Facilities 17 - Strategic Transport Infrastructure 18 - Natural Environment 21 - Historic Environment 22 - Gypsies and Traveller Accommodation 24 6. Governance Arrangements 25 7. Appendices 26 - Evidence of joint working - Local Authority Housing Requirements - Teesside International Airport Planning History - Teesside International Airport combined policies map - Adjoining Authorities Statements of Common Ground 1 This document was classified as: OFFICIAL 1. Introduction 1.1 This statement of common ground has been prepared to meet the requirements set out in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). Paragraph 27 of the NPPF states, authorities should prepare and maintain one or more statements of common ground, documenting the cross-boundary matters being addressed and progress in cooperating to address these. This ensures that the plan making process demonstrates effective and on-going joint working. 1.2 This is the first draft of the statement of common ground to be published alongside the emerging Local Plan. It is acknowledged that the statement should have been produced throughout the plan making process, however the Council has regularly contributed to and signed statements from other authorities over recent years including Hambleton District Council, Stockton on Tees Borough Council and Durham County Council. These statements have been utilised to inform this document and updated to reflect continued discussions on strategic issues which remain the same. It has not been possible to create an identical statement of common ground for all of the adjoining authorities covered in this statement due to the different geographies, varying cross boundary issues and the different stages of plan preparation. Prior to the submission of the Local Plan to the Planning Inspectorate (as at 21st December 2020) all signatories have confirmed that they remain in agreement with the contents of the statement. 1.3 A statement of common ground is a written record of the progress made during the process of planning for strategic cross-boundary matters. It documents where effective co-operation is and is not happening throughout the plan-making process and is a way of demonstrating at examination that plans are deliverable over the plan period, and based on effective joint working across local authority boundaries. For Darlington Borough Council it also forms part of the evidence required to demonstrate that we have complied with the duty to cooperate. 1.4 The approach taken in preparing this statement is in accordance with the requirements of the National Planning Practice Guidance (NPPG). It is important to note that this is a working document, reflecting the fact that co-operation is ongoing in relation to the issues identified and that this will evolve as plan making progresses across all of the local planning authorities identified below. 2 This document was classified as: OFFICIAL 2. Parties Involved 2.1 The authorities with local plan making responsibilities that are signatories to this statement are: - Stockton on Tees Borough Council - Durham County Council - Hambleton District Council - Richmondshire District Council 2.2 Additional signatories to the statement are: - North Yorkshire County Council 3 This document was classified as: OFFICIAL 3. Signatories 3.1 This section sets out for each signatory organisation the name of the organisation and the name, position and signature of that organisation’s representative. 3.2 Unless otherwise stated each Local Planning Authority is a full signatory to the statement. For each of the additional signatories the strategic matters that are agreed are identified in their respective sections below. 4 This document was classified as: OFFICIAL Stockton on Tees Borough Council On behalf of Stockton on Tees Borough Council I confirm that there is common ground on adopted and draft planning policies and there are no unresolved strategic issues as set out in this statement Signed: Date: 22/12/20 Name: Garry Cummings Position Director of Finance, Development and Business Services 5 This document was classified as: OFFICIAL Durham County Council behalf of Durham County Council I confirm that there is common ground on adopted and draft planning policies and there are no unresolved strategic issues as set out in this statement Signed: ~ft) Date: 18 December 2020 Name: Amy Harhoff Position Corporate Director - Regeneration, Economy & Growth 6 This document was classified as: OFFICIAL Hambleton District Council On behalf of Hambleton District Council I confirm that there is common ground on adopted and draft planning policies and there are no unresolved strategic issues as set out in this statement Signed: Date: 18/12/2020 Name: James Campbell Position Planning Policy Manager 7 This document was classified as: OFFICIAL Richmondshire District Council On behalf of Richmondshire District Council I confirm that there is common ground on adopted and draft planning policies and there are no unresolved strategic issues as set out in this statement Signed: Bart Milburn Date: 17th December 2020 Name: Bart Milburn Position Planning Manager. 8 This document was classified as: OFFICIAL North Yorkshire County Council behalf of North Yorkshire County Council I confirm that there is common ground on the strategic issues identified in section 5 (strategic matters), in so far as they relate to North Yorkshire County Council's responsibilities, including those as the neighbouring Local Highway Authority and Local Education Authority and there are no unresolved strategic issues as set out in this statement. Signed: ~ Date: 17 December 2020 Name: Matt O'Neill Position Assistant Director - Growth, Planning & Trading Standards 9 This document was classified as: OFFICIAL 4. Strategic Geography 4.1 The Statement of Common Ground relates to the Local Planning Authority area covered by Darlington Borough Council and the adjoining Local Planning Authorities: - Stockton on Tees Borough Council - Durham County Council - Hambleton District Council - Richmondshire District Council 4.2 This also includes the adjoining upper tier authority North Yorkshire County Council. 4.3 The map below identifies the location and extent of the area covered by the statement. It also shows the other Tees Valley authorities which are covered by the Tees Valley Combined Authority but are not signatories to this statement. Darlington does have linkages with the other Tees Valley authorities, however it was not considered necessary to include them in this statement in terms of identifying key strategic cross boundary planning matters. 4.4 The area extends over the administrative area of all the plan making authorities that have a common boundary with Darlington. In doing so it reflects key linkages with the surrounding authority areas in terms of travel to work patterns, Housing Market Area relationships and strategic cross-boundary issues. C] County Durham C] Tees Vall ey Combined Authority C] North Yorkshire County Council Durham Redcar & Cleveland Borough Richmondshire District Hambleton District llWi~-~----~DAR LINGTON Plan produced by the Planrung Policy Div1S1on, E00tn1Uc Growth D. N QCrownQ'XN'll)l't.-ld~rlOl't•20l9~SV,,,y010002372$ Figure 1: Map illustrating area covered by the statement 10 This document was classified as: OFFICIAL 5. Strategic Matters 5.1 Joint working to address strategic matters has been ongoing throughout the plan making process and is set out in the Consultation Statement. It is also summarised in Appendix 1: 'Evidence of Joint Working'. This work has identified a number of strategic areas that have the potential to raise cross boundary issues and are outlined in this chapter. The position on each of these issues is outlined below. Housing Development 5.2 The housing market area (HMA) covering Darlington is complex with the south and west part of the authority containing the town of Darlington strongly linked to North Yorkshire, while the northern and eastern part of Darlington Borough is closely linked with areas of Stockton on Tees and County Durham. 5.3 Census data shows that in terms of residents currently living in Darlington (12 months prior to the census) 65% had moved there from another address within Darlington. The data also shows that those who previously lived in Darlington, 67.4% who moved stayed within the local authority. Travel to work areas indicate a close alignment between Darlington and the local authority boundary. Broad rental market areas indicate that there is one housing market area in Darlington, which also extends into relatively low populated areas of County Durham and Richmondshire. 5.4 The evidence suggests that it is sensible for Darlington to be considered as a HMA in itself. Further detail can be found in the Darlington Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA) 2020. This view is consistent with the previous SHMA for Darlington and the Local Plan Examinations in Public for County Durham, Stockton on Tees, Hambleton and Richmondshire, where inspectors did not seek to include Darlington in their HMA. 5.5 The Darlington SHMA was produced by Opinion Research Services (ORS)